Joseph



Y n. JIARDINA. 4 I.(GIIISEPPE)GIARDINO.ADMINISTRATOR OFTHE SUCCESSION OF R- GIARDINO, DEC 'D, ALSO CALL ED RJIARDINA.

BOMB.

APPLICATION FILED wow 1, I916.

'. fifarzzey Patented Nov 3 S H E ETS R. HARDINA. .I-(GIUSEPPDGIAIDINO, Apmmsmnoa or THE- SUCCESSION or a. emomo, nz'c'o, ALSO cAlLco n. nmn'mn.

BOMB.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE II 1916.

Patented Nov. 25,1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

fz z/eiziar fa'arda' za/ ares frAr T ornr RALPH JIARDINA, or ALGIERS, LOUISIANA; aosnrn (srosnrrn) GIARDINO ADMINIS- TRATOR OF THE JIARDINA.

SUGCESSION 0F RAFAELLE (HARDING, ALSO CALLED RALPH BOMB.

Specification of Letters Patent.

. Patented Nov. 25, 1919.

Application filedJune 1, 1916. Serial No. 101,067.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RALPH J 7 subject of the King of Italy, residing at Algiers, in the parish of Orleans and State of Louisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bombs, of which the following is a specification.

My presentinvention relates to improve ments in bombs .or other explosive missiles and projectiles, either of the type adapted to be projected from a gun or dropped from above, a from an aeroplane or other aerial means being provided for causing a distrh bution of the projectiles through a large range or zone when projected by said powder or explosive charges; and to provide novel and efficient meansfor causing discharge of the projectiles at the proper moment, the bomb or device being so constructed that, upon reaching the ground, the bomb will be lifted therefrom, whereupon the projectiles are discharged, distribution of the projectiles at the most efi'ective height being thereby attained.

To these and other ends, the 1I1V6Ili71011 consists in certain improvements, and com- 7 of the fuse which times the explosion of the bomb, and v I Fig. 4L is a. detail view showing one of the rows of chambers for the projectiles and their explosive charges. Similar parts are designated by'the same reference characters in the several views.

The bomb in its, preferred form is shown IARDINA, a

hereinafter described in detail. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not restricted to the precise construction shown, as equivalent constructions are contemplatedand modifications may be made in the construction of the bomb, all of which will be included within the scope of the claims.

In" the present instance, the bomb comprises a body 1' which may be of any suitable shape or form. As shown, this body is spherical, thus enabling the bomb to be projected from a gun or dropped from aerial crai't. The body isprovicled with an inner chamber 2 which is preferably located above the geometrical center of the bomb, thus lightening the weight of the bomb above its geometrical center, lea *ing a mass of metal at the bottom which operates by gravityto maintain the bomb in an upright position.

Sets of projectile chambers 3 radiate from the axis ofthe chamber'Q. These chambers are preferably arranged in rows, the chambers of each row being parallel or in alinement while the different rows of chambers radiate from the axis of the chamber 2. Each chambe is adapted to contain a 'pro-. j ectile a, and suitable provision is made for causing the discharge of the projectiles from their chambers. Preferably, and as shown, each chamber 3 contains a powder or ex plosive'charge 5 for causing the discharge ofthe corresponding projectile from its re-' spective chamber, a percussion cap 6 being provided at the rear oi leaich chamber for igniting the powder charge therein. A suitable numberv of firing pin members 7 is provided, the numberof these memberscorrespending, preferably, to the number of rows of projectile chambers. I Each firing pin member 7 is provided with firing pins 8', the number of which corresponds to the number o-t projectile chambers 3 in each row. These firing pins are operative in bores 9 formed in the wall 10 which incloses the chamber 2,

he firing pin members being normally re" tracted'or in the position shown in Fig.1, 7

and when moved outwardly, by means to be hereinati er described, the firing pins oper-"- ate upon the percussion caps 6 oftheprojectile chambers ofthe respective row, thereby igniting the charges in these chambers and causing the projectiles therein to be dis;

charged from such chambers.- The wall 10 through which the firing pins 'operateinay,

" )in members bv' radial links 17 whichlinks are pivotedto the head 12 at 13 and areoperativelyconnected at'19 to lugs 20 formed on the lower portions of the firingpin members. Normally, the links 13 and 17 are inclined downwardly toward the heads 11 and 12, the firingpin members 7 being then in their retracted or inner positions. When, however, the heads 11- and 12 are'elevated, the links 13 and 17 are brought toward horizontal positions, they then acting as toggles toforcethe firing pin members outwardly, thus causing the firing pinsto explode the percussion caps and ignite the powder charges forthe projectiles. The heads. 11 and '12 are connected to move in unison, they bein connected in the present instance by a sleeve 21 the lower end of which its over aboss 22 on the upper side of thehead 12, .while the upper end of'the sleeve. has a flanged head 23 which is threaded internally upon a rod or stem 24 which passes axially throughthe sleeve. Screws or rivets also securetheupper head '11 to the flanged head 23 of thesleeve.

Upward movement of the heads 11 and 12'to cause discharge ottitheprojectilesfrom their chambers is-efi'ected, preferably, bythe discharge of a. powder charge or explosive at the proper moment. As showinthe, lower or base portion of the body of the projectile istormed with apowder chamber 26 and the top of this powder chamber is 1 normally closed by a plug 27, this plug having a flange or enlarged :head 28 which bears on the underside of the lower head 12. The plug 27, asstated, normally closes the top of the powder chamber 26, but upon ignition of the powder in this chamber, the plug is forced:i1pwardly,the plug-in turn forcing upwardly the heads .11 and 12 and causing discharge of the projectiles in the manner hereinbefore,stated To accomplish this result,-the plug 27 may, for example, have a few shallowthreads 30 ;to engage similar threads'in the top wall of the powder chamber 26, these threads serving to retain the plug normally in position, closingthe top of the powder chamber, but the threadsbeing zstripped under the expansive force of the explosion in the chamber .26 when the powder inthisohamber is ignited. Ignition otthepowder in thechamber26 is eifected through the burning of powder or a fuse in a bore 31 which leads into the bottom of the powder chamber 26 through a second and preferably larger powder chamber 32. This second powder chamber is formed 'inthe bottom or baseof the bomb, it open ing at the bottom of the bomb butbeing normally closed by a plug 33. The plug 33 will normally close the bottom of the powder chamber 32, but upon ignition of the powder in this chamber 32, the plug 33 will be forced downwardly out of the chamber 32,

and the resulting pressure of the exploded which is ignited 11113011 the discharge of the,

bomb from. a gun or upon dropping the bomb. The :tuse 1n the present instance is contained in the top of the bomb, this-top being formed ,preferably'as a cap'or lid 35 which its upon-the top of the body portion of the bomb and is secured thereto'by screws orequivalentdevices 36. The outer surface of the cap or lidl35 conforms L10 the general spherical i orm ofthe bomb. This caplor lid closes the interior chamber 2 and it is formed with a fuse chamber 37. In thisehamber is placed a plate or diaphragm 38 having a spiral rib 39 on its upper side forming a spiral ifuse channel 40, and another plate ,ordiaphragm 41 is placed in the fuse chamber 37 beneath the plate 38 and this plate is formed on its upper side with a spiral flange 42 forming a spiral fuse channel 43, while, a spiral flange, 44 is to med on the under side ot'the plate 41 and provides a spiralofuse channel 45. The cap isgprovided with a bore 46 which leads from the exteriorof the bomb into the center 01 the fuse channel 40', the plate 38 is formed near itsperiphery with an aperture 4 the plate 41 is formed at its center with an aperture 48 ,and the flange 44 on the plate is formed with an aperture 49. A fuse passage 50 extends from the aperture 49 into the :lowerpowder chamber The plates having theiflanges thereon which provide the spiral fuse channels are retained in the cap or lid by a cover plate 51 which may be threaded or-otherwise retained .in

position. The under side .ofthe coverplate 51 may also :be provided with a guide 52 to coiperate with and steady theupperend ofthe rod orstem 24.

. In loading the bomb, ,the various projectile chambers 3 are provided with percussion caps, they are provided with powder charges, and projectiles are introduced into these chambers, the firing pin members 7 being at this time retracted and retained normally in retracted position by the plug 27 which is held by its threads in the top of the powder chamber 26, the heads 11 and 12 which actuate the firing pin members being held in their lower positions by the rod or stem 24 which is attached to the plug 27 and to the sleeve 21 connecting the heads. The fuse is placed in position, it extending from the exterior through the bore 46 to the center of the plate 38, it then winding in convolutions outwardly from the center toward the periphery of the plate 38 through the spiral fuse channel 40 until it reaches the aperture 47, whereupon the fuse enters the spiral fuse channel 43 and winds inwardly to the center of the plate 41, it then passing through the central aperture 48 in this plate and then winding outwardly through the spiral fuse channel until it reaches the aperture 49 at the periphery of the plate 41. The fuse then extends from the aperture 49 through the fuse passage 50 and into the powder chamber 32. This powder chamber and also the powder chamber 26 are supplied with charges of powder,

. the bore 31 connecting these chambers being provided with a fuse or containing powder to act as a fuse to cause ignition of powder in the chamber 26 after the powder in the chamber 32 has been exploded.

When the bomb-is discharged either from a gun or from dropping it, it will land in an upright position, due to the preponderance of weight or mass at the bottom or lower side of the bomb. The fuse is proportioned to cause explosion of the bomb at the proper moment or when the same has reached a predetermined distance after discharge. With the bomb resting in an upright position and on the plug 33, ignition of the powder charge in the chamber 32 by the fuse will cause the plug 33 to be blown out of the bottom of this chamber, and the resultin pressure of the exploded gases will lift the bomb to a suitable height above the ground. Ignition of the powder charge in the chamber 32 is followed by explosion of the powder charge in the chamber 26, the explosion of the charge in the latter chamber being timed to occur after the bomb has been lifted to an appropriate height above the ground by explosion of the charge in the chamber 32. When the explosion occurs in the chamber 26, the plug 27 is drawn from the top thereof in an upward direction, forcing the heads 11 and 12 upwardly with a quick motion whereby the firing pin members 7 areall simultaneously forced outwardly. This results in ignition of the powder charges in the projectile chambers and discharge of the projectiles from these chambers in directions radiating from the axis of the bomb or cylindrical chamber 2.

By arranging the projectile chambers in rows radiating in all directions from the vertical axis of the bomb, a thorough distribution of the projectiles within the zone of explosion of the bomb is accomplished. Furthermore, by providing means for elevating the bomb to an effective distance above the ground, preparatory to the discharge cf the projectiles, the greatest er"- fectiveness of the projectiles is attained.

I claim as my invention i I 1. A bomb comprising a plurality of rows of projectile-containing chambers, said rows of chambers being arranged in planes radiating from a given axis, explosive charges for said chambers, a member for each row of chambers, each member carrying firing pins for exploding the charges in the chambers of the respective row, and means for actuating the firing pin members embodying heads connected to said members, an explosive chamber, and means operative by an explosion in said chamber for actuating said heads.

2. A bomb comprising a plurality of rows of projectile chambers, said rows being arranged in a plane radiating from a given axis, means for discharging projectiles from' said chambers, amember for each row .of chambers and carrying firing pins for the chambers of the respective row, movable heads, normally inclined links operatively connecting said heads to said members, and means for actuating said heads embodying an explosive chamber, and a plug normally closing such explosive chamber and displaceable by an explosion therein to actuate said heads.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my' hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

I RALPH J IARDI'NA. Witnesses:

JOHN M. ONIELL, THOMAS RIDGLEY. 

